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Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected people living and working in UK care homes causing high mortality rates. Vaccinating staff members and residents is considered the most effective intervention to reduce infection and its transmission rates. However, uptake of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in care homes was variable. We sought to investigate factors influencing uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in care home staff to inform strategies to increase vaccination uptake and inform future preparedness. Methods Twenty care home staff including managerial and administrative staff, nurses, healthcare practitioners and support staff from nine care homes across England participated in semi-structured telephone interviews (March-June 2021) exploring attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine and factors influencing uptake. We used thematic analysis to generate themes which were subsequently deductively mapped to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. The Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW) was used to identify potential intervention strategies to address identified influences. Results Enablers to vaccine uptake included the willingness to protect care home residents, staff and family/friends from infection and the belief that vaccination provided a way back to normality (reflective motivation); convenience of vaccination and access to accurate information (physical opportunity); and a supporting social environment around them favouring vaccination (social opportunity). Barriers included fears about side-effects (automatic motivation); a lack of trust due to the quick release of the vaccine (reflective motivation); and feeling pressurised to accept vaccination if mandatory (automatic motivation). Conclusions We identified influences on COVID-19 vaccine uptake by care home staff that can inform the implementation of future vaccination programmes. Strategies likely to support uptake include information campaigns and facilitating communication between staff and managers to openly discuss concerns regarding possible vaccination side effects. Freedom of choice played an important role in the decision to be vaccinated suggesting that the decision to mandate vaccination may have unintended behavioural consequences.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected people living and working in UK care homes causing high mortality rates. Vaccinating staff members and residents is considered the most effective intervention to reduce infection and its transmission rates. However, uptake of the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in care homes was variable. We sought to investigate factors influencing uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in care home staff to inform strategies to increase vaccination uptake and inform future preparedness. Methods: Twenty care home staff including managerial and administrative staff, nurses, healthcare practitioners and support staff from nine care homes across England participated in semi-structured telephone interviews (March-June 2021) exploring attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine and factors influencing uptake. We used thematic analysis to generate themes which were subsequently deductively mapped to the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) model. The Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW) was used to identify potential intervention strategies to address identified influences. Results: Enablers to vaccine uptake included the willingness to protect care home residents, staff and family/friends from infection and the belief that vaccination provided a way back to normality (reflective motivation); convenience of vaccination and access to accurate information (physical opportunity); and a supporting social environment around them favouring vaccination (social opportunity). Barriers included fears about side-effects (automatic motivation); a lack of trust due to the quick release of the vaccine (reflective motivation); and feeling pressurised to accept vaccination if mandatory (automatic motivation). Conclusions: We identified influences on COVID-19 vaccine uptake by care home staff that can inform the implementation of future vaccination programmes. Strategies likely to support uptake include information campaigns and facilitating communication between staff and managers to openly discuss concerns regarding possible vaccination side effects. Freedom of choice played an important role in the decision to be vaccinated suggesting that the decision to mandate vaccination may have unintended behavioural consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Children and young people (CYP) with asthma can benefit from reduced exposure to indoor environmental allergens and triggers but may not consistently have avoidance strategies implemented. To inform future interventions to increase trigger and allergen avoidance and enhance asthma control, a greater understanding of the influences on avoidance behaviours is necessary. Methods A systematic scoping review was selected to summarize evidence on what influences family uptake of indoor environmental asthma trigger avoidance strategies for CYP with asthma and identify research gaps. Primary studies of any design, including CYP (≤18 years) with asthma, and/or parent‐carers, available in English and conducted since 1993, were eligible. Searches included nine databases, hand‐searching reference lists and citation searching. Findings Thirty‐three articles were included and are summarized narratively due to heterogeneity. Influences appear complex and multifactorial and include barriers to strategy uptake, health beliefs and personal motivation. Research specifically related to family understanding of allergic sensitisation status and exposure risks, and how these may inform avoidance implementation is required. Patient and public involvement (PPI) was not reported in included articles, although two studies used participatory methods. Conclusion There is limited research on family asthma trigger management, particularly what influences current management behaviours. Variation in families' ability to identify important triggers, understand exposure risk and consistently reduce exposures warrants further exploratory research to explain how families reach avoidance decisions, and what future interventions should aim to address. Further PPI‐informed research to address such gaps, could enable theory‐based, person‐centred interventions to improve the uptake of asthma trigger remediation. Patient or Public Contribution An asthma‐specific PPI group contributed to the decision‐making for the funding for the wider project this review sits within. The findings of this scoping review have informed the subsequent phases of the project, and this was discussed with PPI groups (both adult and CYP groups) when proposing the next phases of the project.

Introduction: Children and young people (CYP) with asthma can benefit from reduced exposure to indoor environmental allergens and triggers but may not consistently have avoidance strategies implemented. To inform future interventions to increase trigger and allergen avoidance and enhance asthma control, a greater understanding of the influences on avoidance behaviours is necessary. Methods: A systematic scoping review was selected to summarize evidence on what influences family uptake of indoor environmental asthma trigger avoidance strategies for CYP with asthma and identify research gaps. Primary studies of any design, including CYP (≤18 years) with asthma, and/or parent‐carers, available in English and conducted since 1993, were eligible. Searches included nine databases, hand‐searching reference lists and citation searching. Findings: Thirty‐three articles were included and are summarized narratively due to heterogeneity. Influences appear complex and multifactorial and include barriers to strategy uptake, health beliefs and personal motivation. Research specifically related to family understanding of allergic sensitisation status and exposure risks, and how these may inform avoidance implementation is required. Patient and public involvement (PPI) was not reported in included articles, although two studies used participatory methods. Conclusion: There is limited research on family asthma trigger management, particularly what influences current management behaviours. Variation in families' ability to identify important triggers, understand exposure risk and consistently reduce exposures warrants further exploratory research to explain how families reach avoidance decisions, and what future interventions should aim to address. Further PPI‐informed research to address such gaps, could enable theory‐based, person‐centred interventions to improve the uptake of asthma trigger remediation. Patient or Public Contribution: An asthma‐specific PPI group contributed to the decision‐making for the funding for the wider project this review sits within. The findings of this scoping review have informed the subsequent phases of the project, and this was discussed with PPI groups (both adult and CYP groups) when proposing the next phases of the project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operative treatment is indicated for most toothache/dental abscesses, yet antibiotics instead of procedures are often prescribed. This ethnographic study aimed to identify clinician and patient factors influencing urgent dental care for adults during actual appointments; and to identify elements sensitive to context. Appointments were observed in out-of-hours and general dental practices. Follow-up interviews took place with dentists, dental nurses, and patients. Dentist and patient factors were identified through thematic analysis of observation records and appointment/interview transcripts. Dentist factors were based on a published list of factors influencing antibiotic prescribing for adults with acute conditions across primary health care and presented within the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour model. Contextually sensitive elements were revealed by comparing the factors between settings. In total, thirty-one dentist factors and nineteen patient factors were identified. Beliefs about antibiotics, goals for the appointment and access to dental services were important for both dentists and patients. Dentist factors included beliefs about the lifetime impact of urgent dental procedures on patients. Patient factors included their communication and negotiation skills. Contextual elements included dentists’ concerns about inflicting pain on regular patients in general dental practice; and patients’ difficulties accessing care to complete temporary treatment provided out of hours. This improved understanding of factors influencing shared decisions about treatments presents significant opportunity for new, evidence-based, contextually sensitive antibiotic stewardship interventions.

Aims Pharmacogenetic smoking cessation interventions would involve smokers being given information about the influence of genes on their behaviour. However, attributing smoking to genetic causes may reduce perceived control over smoking, reducing quit attempt success. This study examines whether attributing smoking to genetic influences is associated with reduced quitting and whether this effect is mediated by perceived control over smoking. Design Cohort study. Participants A total of 792 smokers, participating in a trial of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)-assisted smoking cessation. Participants were informed that the trial investigated relationships between genetic markers and smoking behaviour, but personalized genetic feedback was not provided. Setting Primary care in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, UK. Measurements Perceived control over smoking and perceived importance of genetic factors in causing smoking assessed pre-quit; abstinence 4, 12, 26 and 52 weeks after the start of treatment. Findings A total of 515 smokers (65.0%) viewed genetic factors as playing some role in causing their smoking. They had lower perceived control over smoking than smokers who viewed genetic factors as having no role in causing their smoking. Attributing smoking to genetic causes was not associated significantly with a lower probability of quit attempt success. Conclusions Attributing smoking to genetic factors was associated with lower levels of perceived control over smoking but not lower quit rates. This suggests that learning of one's genetic predisposition to smoking during a pharmacogenetically tailored smoking cessation intervention may not deter quitting. Further research should examine whether the lack of impact of genetic attributions on quit attempt success is also found in smokers provided with personalized genetic feedback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dentistry is responsible for around 10% of antibiotic prescribing across global healthcare, with up to 80% representing inappropriate use. Facilitating shared decision-making has been shown to optimise antibiotic prescribing (antibiotic stewardship) in primary medical care. Our aim was to co-develop a shared decision-making antibiotic stewardship tool for dentistry. Dentists, patients and other stakeholders prioritised factors to include in the new tool, based on previous research (a systematic review and ethnographic study) about dentists' decision-making during urgent appointments. Candidate behaviour-change techniques were identified using the Behaviour Change Wheel and selected based on suitability for a shared decision-making approach. A 'think aloud' study helped fine-tune the tool design and Crystal Marking ensured clarity of messaging. The resulting paper-based worksheet for use at point-of-care incorporated various behaviour change techniques, such as: 'information about (and salience of) health consequences', 'prompts and cues', 'restructuring the physical (and social) environment' and 'credible sources'. The think aloud study confirmed the tool's acceptability to dentists and patients, and resulted in the title: 'Step-by-step guide to fixing your toothache.' Further testing will be necessary to evaluate its efficacy at safely reducing dental antibiotic prescribing during urgent dental appointments in England and, with translation, to other dental contexts globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Operative treatment is indicated for most toothache/dental abscesses, yet antibiotics instead of procedures are often prescribed. This ethnographic study aimed to identify clinician and patient factors influencing urgent dental care for adults during actual appointments; and to identify elements sensitive to context. Appointments were observed in out-of-hours and general dental practices. Follow-up interviews took place with dentists, dental nurses, and patients. Dentist and patient factors were identified through thematic analysis of observation records and appointment/interview transcripts. Dentist factors were based on a published list of factors influencing antibiotic prescribing for adults with acute conditions across primary health care and presented within the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation-Behaviour model. Contextually sensitive elements were revealed by comparing the factors between settings. In total, thirty-one dentist factors and nineteen patient factors were identified. Beliefs about antibiotics, goals for the appointment and access to dental services were important for both dentists and patients. Dentist factors included beliefs about the lifetime impact of urgent dental procedures on patients. Patient factors included their communication and negotiation skills. Contextual elements included dentists' concerns about inflicting pain on regular patients in general dental practice; and patients' difficulties accessing care to complete temporary treatment provided out of hours. This improved understanding of factors influencing shared decisions about treatments presents significant opportunity for new, evidence-based, contextually sensitive antibiotic stewardship interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]